Spring getting closer!

At Portland Bird Obs Dorset 4 Wheatears this morning - Orme tomoz?

No sign of Surf Scoters so far most flocks very distant today, sure they are out there....

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Velvet Scoter Llandulas

4 Velvet Scoter off Llandulas beach this am but most scoter distant - news from John R

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Corn Buntings (just outside our region)

Thought that blog participants might be interested in car tickable Corn Buntings that are just outside our immediate region.  On travelling back via A5 North West of Shrewsbury on Friday 4th March, 24 Corn Buntings were counted in the top of some small trees bordering the North side of the road.  When heading back towards North Wales there is a section of relatively new dual carriageway near Nesscliffe.  There is a roundabout at the end of the dual carriageway and the birds were 20-30 metres along the road on the North side.  At one point they flew across the road to an area where there appeared to be a large mound of mature, then returned to the trees.  I was travelling up that road again on Sunday 6th and had a single bird fly up from the mature heap to alight on top of one of the trees.  If you decide to stop, be particularly careful as this is an extremely busy road and the traffic moves very quickly.  If you are going to stop, probably best to take one of the side roads and walk back a little and scope from a safe position.  Not an easy bird to catch up with locally.  The area is not too far away from Bettisfield, which is the area of Wales where I had my last Welsh sighting of Corn Bunting. Bettisfield is just west of Ellesmere and the Welsh border dips down into the Shropshire countryside.  

Bonaparte's Gull Traeth Lligwy

The Boney Gull again at Traeth Lligwy this pm seen at stream out-flow.

Ad Med Gull Pensarn Beach - Ralph M

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Surf Scoters

Managed to see the two drake Surf Scoters off the rainbow bridge over A55 east of Colwyn Bay. Keeping close together east of wind farm but distant. Good candidate for a Black Scoter but the bird flew east before could really grill it, looked v good!

2 Snow Bunts Kinmel Bay
4 Slavonian Grebe Holyhead Bay - from Ken Croft

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com

Velvets Llandulas

News from Julian W 5 Velvet Scoter off Llandulas. Looking good for the Surf Scoters if anyone can get over to Old Colwyn......

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com

GG Shrike World's End

News from Julie - Great grey Shrike again at World's End this morning viewed from the road just north of the larch plantation on the south side of the moor. No sign of warbler.

Rufous Turtle Dove still Oxfordshire this am
Long billed Dowitcher Radipole Lake Dorset
Waxwings in Lancs and Cheshire
GW Egret in Cumbria

Alan and Ruth
www.thebiggesttwitch.com